1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover which is to be attached to toilet seats.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 10 shows an example of toilet bowl comprising a toilet main body 11, an annular toilet seat 12 positioned on the top of the main body 11 and having inner and outer peripheries which are both oval when seen from above, the toilet seat 12 being hinged at an outer peripheral portion to the main body 11, and a lid 13 positionable over the toilet seat 12 and having a periphery which is oval when seen from above, the lid 13 being hinged at a peripheral portion to the main body 11 along with the toilet seat 12.
Known covers for toilet seats, such as the seat 12 mentioned above, include those disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication (examined) No. 52-50574 (1977) and No. 51-522213 (1976).
FIG. 11 shows the toilet seat cover of the former publication. A stretchable strip of knitted fabric or the like having a specified length has its longitudinally opposite ends stitched together to form a short tube 71, which is formed with annular hems 72, 73 along the edges of its open ends. A hard resilient core 74 in the form of a rigid synthetic resin wire (or pipe) and having a length larger than the inner peripheral length of the toilet seat 12 is inserted in the annular hem 72. The core 74 is adapted to form a ring when one end thereof is inserted into a connecting tube at the other end thereof. Thus, the core 74 forms a resilient peripheral edge when inserted into the hem 72 through an insertion hole formed in the hem at a suitable portion thereof and connected into a ring. The annular hem 73 has enclosed therein a stretchable line 75, such as a rubber string, having a smaller length than the hard resilient core 74 when left intact and unstretched. The line 75 forms a stretchable peripheral edge.
The toilet seat cover thus formed is provided over a toilet seat 12 as seen in FIG. 12. First, the resilient peripheral edge having the hard core 74 enclosed therein is placed in contact with the rear side of the toilet seat 12, as positioned toward its inner periphery. On the other hand, the stretchable peripheral edge having the stretchable line 75 enclosed therein is inserted upwardly through the opening of the toilet seat 12, stretched over the upper surface of the seat 12 and folded back onto the rear side of the rim of the seat 12. Consequently both open-end edges of the short fabric tube 71 are held to the rear side of the toilet seat 12 by being thereby restrained, with the intermediate portion of the tube 71 covering the upper surface of the seat 12, whereby the cover is attached to the seat 12.
FIG. 13 shows the toilet seat cover of the latter publication. A short tube 91 having a width larger than the width of the seat surface of a toilet seat 12 is obtained by cutting a tubular knitted fabric. Both the opening edges of the tube 91 are folded back over the entire circumference and stitched down to form hollow annular hems 92, 93 of suitable width. A rigid synthetic resin wire (or pipe) inserted in the hollow annular hem 92 through a hole at a hem portion is provided at its one end with a connecting tube into which the other end of the wire is inserted. The wire therefore forms a hard resilient core ring 94 having a circumferential length larger than the inner peripheral length of the toilet seat 12. The other hollow annular hem 93 has enclosed therein a string 95, such as a rubber string, inserted into the hem through a hole and having opposite ends extending outward from the insertion hole.
The cover thus formed is fitted over the toilet seat 12 as shown in FIG. 14. First, the opening edge having the hard resilient core ring 94 enclosed therein is placed in contact with the rear side of the seat 12, as positioned toward the inner periphery thereof. The other opening edge having the string 95 inserted therethrough is upwardly passed through the opening of the seat 12. Next, while stretching the short tube 91 over the seat 12 widthwise of its seat surface, the latter opening edge is folded back onto the rear side of the rim of the toilet seat 12. The ends of the string 95 are then pulled and ties together so that the circumferential length of the string 95 will be shorter than the outer peripheral length of the seat 12. Consequently both the opening edges of the short fabric tube 91 are held to the rear side of the toilet seat 12 by being restrained by the hard resilient core ring 94 and the string 95. The cover is fitted over the toilet seat 12, with its intermediate portion covering the upper surface of the seat 12.
The conventional toilet seat covers described are generally convenient to attach and give a fair comfort to the user. With the former toilet seat cover, however, the annular hems 72, 73 having insertion holes for accommodating the resilient core 74 and the stretchable line 75 must be formed at the opening edges of the short fabric tube 71, while the short fabric tube 91 of the latter cover needs to be similarly provided with the hollow annular hems 92, 93 having insertion holes for enclosing and inserting the core ring 94 and the string 95. These hems require a cumbersome stitching process including not a few steps. Moverover, at least the core 74 and the core ring 94 must be removed every time these covers are to be washed. To remove the core 74 or the core ring 94, there arises the need to withdraw one end of the rigid synthetic resin wire from the connecting tube and pull out the wire end or the tube end from the hem 72 or 92 after guiding the end to the insertion hole. Further when attaching the core 74 or the core ring 94 to the short fabric tube 71 or 91 by inserting the resin wire end into the hem 72 or 92 through the insertion hole, the wire end is likely to get caught in the hem. Accordingly the core 74 or the core ring 94 is very cumbersome to attach to or remove from the short fabric tube 71 or 91. The conventional covers have another drawback. Since the core 74 or the core ring 94 has a circumferential length which is in conformity with the inner peripheral length of the oval toilet seat 12, the cover is not fittable to U-shaped toilet seats. Thus, the conventional covers are not universally usable for toilet seats of different sizes or specifications.